Asbestos Abatement Project – Rudyard Kipling
Project principles and objectives
After a competitive tender process, we were awarded a fixed price contract to complete asbestos abatement, recladding and redecoration at Rudyard Kipling Primary School for Brighton & Hove City Council. Asbestos was present in six classrooms and we were engaged to remove it safely between July and September 2016 and replace with non-asbestos material. Under fully controlled conditions, asbestos insulation panels were removed from ceilings, columns, panels and the wall under the windows in all classrooms and was replaced with two layers of 12.5mm FireLine plasterboard and cladded with 4mm class 1 Medite Fire Retardant (MDF) material.
Key issues and how they were managed
To complete the project within the six weeks, Managing Director Lisa Mundroina and a team of five on-site operatives liaised to create appropriate sub-teams so that each phase of the works could be completed in manageable stages. Four operatives were made responsible for removing asbestos safely from all ceilings, columns, panels and walls under windows in two classrooms at a time so that other contractors could complete subsequent work. Four more operatives were assigned to re-clad beams with 9mm MDF material and decorate the classrooms as per the council’s specification including walls, ceilings and woodwork. Third-party technicians, including two data cablers, two electricians, an alarm company and a security company were engaged by the council as part of the tender. We coordinated with these technicians and ensured that through daily meetings and regular communications all parties were clear on tasks requiring completion, responsibilities and internal time deadlines. These plans were transferred into a digital calendar bible which all workers on site could access. This meant that every individual working on the project was aware of the demands of the project and could follow its progression.
Health and safety
Staff abide by all standard health and safety practices and hold up-to-date job specific qualifications. Through the combination of Lisa’s regular visits and the constant attention of on-site Contracts Manager and supervisor Peter Owens, health and safety remained a priority. To safeguard locals near the Rudyard Kipling Primary School, we segregated the work site with Heras fencing, closed school car park gates to defer the public from entering school grounds and placed signage around the outside our enclosure. Local tradespeople were also made aware of our work. Upon completion, a four-stage air safety clearance test was conducted to ensure the air was not contaminated.
Disturbance
Rudyard Kipling Primary School is situated in a densely populated, built-up area which meant that the number of those who could be disturbed by our work was high. To minimise disturbance, the school distributed relevant details and contact information to the local community so that residents were aware of our planned works and could approach us with any questions. Our operatives committed to a policy of silent working and when undertaking particularly hazardous or noisy activities, including reinstatement works when fixing new boards, workers completed these tasks when the local area was least busy. Other tradespeople and businesses working in the nearby area were consulted so that our work did not disturb their work and task schedules were exchanged so that concurrent local projects caused minimum noise pollution.
Additional work
During the early stages of works, it became clear that additional work was required to complete the project. Six heaters attached to insulation boards needed to be removed and to gain access to the asbestos-affected areas and replaced. Third-party sub-contractors needed to be interviewed and approved before we could supply a quote to Brighton and Hove City Council to be authorised. We ensured that communications were prompt during this process and we were able to hire a third-party within 24 hours of identifying the need for additional work.
Successful outcomes and key targets and project measures
The primary target was to complete work safely, on time, and within budget. Despite the need for additional work at the request of the council within the same time frames, this was achieved. Zero health and safety incidents were reported during the project, which satisfied our health and safety KPIs. A high standard of service was maintained throughout the project, evident from satisfied supervisor reports delivered to Lisa daily. Mr Stuart Cager confirmed satisfaction and thanked us on behalf of the school and Brighton and Hove City Council, praised us for our ‘hard work on this project, with so many trades and the additional work managed.’
Lessons learned, innovations and best practice
Despite a resounding success, we believe there is always room for improvement. Whilst we had allowed enough time to complete unplanned works, additional contingency time was introduced to future projects to carry out more comprehensive inductions and create further leeway to deal with unplanned changes to works should they arise. The calendar bible system was utilised well by all staff on-site and ensured all operatives were aware of what they were doing and when they were required to complete it by. These calendars are now used on all our projects and serve as an excellent point of reference.
Back to allRelated case studies
Hampton Court Palace Asbestos Removal Project
Successful removal of asbestos from forty nine rooms at Hampton Court Palace.
Read moreAllweather provides grand solution in Brighton
Grand Hotel has new roof overlay system installed by Allweather and applied with Sika Liquid Plastics solution.
Read moreAsbestos Abatement Project – Rudyard Kipling
Asbestos removal within six classrooms and replacement of non-asbestos material.
Read moreRelated case studies
Hampton Court Palace Asbestos Removal Project
Successful removal of asbestos from forty nine rooms at Hampton Court Palace.
Read moreAsbestos Abatement Project – Rudyard Kipling
Asbestos removal within six classrooms and replacement of non-asbestos material.
Read moreAllweather provides grand solution in Brighton
Grand Hotel has new roof overlay system installed by Allweather and applied with Sika Liquid Plastics solution.
Read more